Cigarette and cigar case.



C. 4W. BISHOP,

CIGARETTE ANI) GIGAB OASE.

APrLIoATIoN FILED JULY 22, 1910.

990,097. Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

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C. W. BISHOP.

CIGARETTE AND CIGAR OASE.

APPLIOATION funn JULY z2, 1910.

990,097, I Patented Apr. 18,1911.

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CHARLES W. BISHOP, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

CIGARETTE AND CIGAR CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,278.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. Bisitor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cigarette and Cigar Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cigarette and cigar cases and has for its object the provision of a cigarette or cigar case provided with means for automatically projecting a cigarette or cigar through an opening in the case and in position to be extracted therefrom.

"With the above and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and mino-r details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification ,-Figure 1 is a plan view of the case with the sections thereof in open position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal seetional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the lid closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 with the lid closed and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4L is a detail Iplan view of one section of the case with the tray removed. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation with the sections of the case in closed position.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The sections of the ease are designated by the numerals 5 and 6 and correspond in contour to most forms of sections of the cigarette cases now in use and are hingedly connected together at one end as shown at 7.

The sections are held in closed position by means of a spring catch 9, which as shown is carried by the section 6 and is engageable by a keeper 10 arranged at the medial p0rtio-n and at one end ot' the opposite section 5. One of the side walls of the sections 5 and G have portions thereof adjacent to the outer ends of the sections cut away as shown at 11, so that when the said sections bear one upon the other an oblong opening will be presented, the said opening being of a width to permit a cigarette or cigar to pass therethrough.

That will subsequently be termed .a tray is designated by the numeral 12. This member is preferably formed of sheet metal and is somewhat less in width than the widths of the sections of the case and corresponds in length approximately to the length of either of said sections. The tray is curved to conform to the configuration of the sections 5 and G and at one end is connected with the pintle which unites the sections 5 and 6 of the case. The opposite end portion of the tray is provided with an angular-shaped extension 13, this angularshaped extension being of a size to receive an ordinary cigarette 4or cigar and will subsequently be termed a chamber. The chamber is in alinement with the outer end portion of the opening 11, for a purpose to be presently described.

The opening 11 is normally sealed by means of a slide door 14. Formed on the outer face of the door is a thumb piece 15 which is pressed when desired to slide the door to open position. By reference now to the drawings it will be seen that formed integral with the door and arranged on` the inner face thereof is an arm 16, the said arm extending oblique to the length of the door and terminating at the longitudinal cent-ral line of the section 5 of the case. The arm 16 is arranged between the loor of the section 5 and tray 12 and terminates at its inner end in a strip 17, extending parallel with the` length of the section 5, the said strip being provided at its opposite end portions with oblong slots 18 and 19. Rising from the longitudinal central portion of the section 5 are studs 20 and 21, the said studs being received by the slots 18 and 19, and so positioned that when one stud is at the inner end of one slot the opposite stud will be at the outer end portion'of the opposite slot. One side portion of the strip 17 is upturned as shown at 22, the upper side of said up-turned portion being provided with a plurality of rack teeth 24, the function of which will appear later. Extending laterally from the up-turned portion 22 and below the teeth 24 is a short arm 25. What will subsequently be termed an ejector is designated by the numeral 26. This member is preferably of thin sheet metal and is arranged between the inner surface of the section 5 and tray 12. Rising from the section 5 and at a point between the middle and connected end of the tray 12, and adjacent to the short arm 25, is a stud 27. The stud 27 is received by one end portion of the ejector 26, the end portion of the ejector nearest the stud 27 being flexed laterally and into the path of movement of the short arm 25. The opposite end portion of the ejector normally bears on that side of the section 5 opposite to the side provided with the opening, and in alinement with the chamber 13. The ej eetor is held in this position by means of a leaf spring 28, one terminal of which is secured to a stud 29 arranged adjacent to the connected portion of the sectionl 5 and at a point adjacentto the side wall of the said section opposite to the side provided with the opening' 11, the opposite terminal of said leaf spring bearing on the lateral extension of the ejector. The door 14 is yieldingly held in closed position by means of a leaf spring 30, one terminal of which is connected to the stud 29 and the opposite terminal bearing on the adjacent end of the up-turned portion 22.

What will subsequently be termed a follower is designated in general by the numeral 31. This member yis preferably of metal and corresponds in length to the width of the tray 12, and in width to the diameter of an ordinary cigarette. Formed in the lower side portion of the follower 31 is a medially disposed recess 32 and flanking the opposite ends of this recess are ears 33 and 34. The

lower side portion of the follower 31 is flexed outwardly and toward the hinged joint of the sections of the casing as shown at 35, the opposite end portions of the outwardly flexed portion being curved so as to provide guides 36 and 37, which loosely receive the opposite side portions of the tray 12. A pawl is designated by the numeral 38, and has one end provided with an eye and arranged between -the ears 33 and 34. Passing through alining openings 33 and 34 and through the eye is a shaft 39. The opposite end portion of the pawl is curved to provide a hook 40 which passes through an oblong opening 41 in the central portion of the tray 12 and engages with the rack teeth 24.

When a cigarette case as shown in the drawings is provided with my improved device approximately ten cigarettes are placed on the tray 12. The outermost cigarette or that remote from the hinge 7 will be arranged in the chamber 13. Assuming now that the sections 5 and 6 are in closed position and it is desired to remove a cigarette from the case, pressure is applied to the thumb piece 15 to move the latter toward the hinge 7. This movement of the thumb piece 15 slides the door 1A and likewise the armk 16, rack and short arm 25. The short arm 25 after moving fora comparatively short distance engages with the lateral extension of the ejector and moves the ejectoron its pivot, the end of the ejector remote from the pivot now moves the cigarette endwise and through the opening 11. After the cigarette has been extracted by the operator and the thumb piece 15 released the springs 28 and 30 move the ejector, the thumb piece and the parts to which the thumb piece is connected to their former positions. This movement of the rack, which as before stated is connected with the thumb piece causes one of the teeth thereof to engage with the hook 40 of the pawl 38 so that as the rack moves forward to `its normal position the follower is likewise moved, whereupon the cigarettes upon the tray are moved until the one nearest the chamber falls into the latter, whereupon the said cigarette will be projected through the openings as before described.

From the foregoing, it is evident that l have provided a device which is comparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture, embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

1. In combination with a cigarette ease provided with a door opening; of a sliding door normally sealing the door opening, a tray within the ease adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes and provided at one end with a chamber, a follower slidingly fitted on the tray, and means carried by the door to automatically actuate the follower to advance a cigarette from the tray into the chamber during the closing movement of the door.

2. ln combination with a cigarette case provided with a door opening; of a sliding door normally sealing the door opening, a tray within the ease adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes and provided at one end with a chamber, a follower sldingly In testimony whereof I affix my signatted on the tray, :L pawl carried by the folture in presence of two Witnesses. lower, and a rack connected With the door the teeth of which are adapted to engage CHARLES W' BISHOP 5 with the pawl to move the latter and fol- Witnesses:

lower during the closing movement of the BERNICE HAMMERSLEY,

door. l/VALTER P. CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent mav be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

